First start already at the Farmers, Vijay Singh aims for a comeback, Charley Hull to launch on YouTube soon. The Back Nine.
As expected, Brooks Koepka has announced that he will not participate in the 2026 LIV Golf season starting February 7 in Riyadh; the five-time major champion remains connected to the competing circuit but needs more time for his family. This was amicably agreed upon, according to LIV CEO Scott McNeil. Koepka is known as a competitive athlete who thrives on high-level competition, something LIV provided only limited motivation for. He originally joined LIV in 2022 due to injury concerns threatening his career and to secure a substantial retirement fund. Thus, skipping the final contracted season is not surprising, though questions remain about potential buyouts or partial repayment of guaranteed fees. He remains owner of the LIV team Smash GC, which recently named Talor Gooch as new captain.
Speculation has grown as to which fairways Koepka will next appear on: the DP World Tour, where he would be immediately eligible—likely facing a penalty fee—or the PGA Tour, where he would face a one-year suspension since his last LIV event, following substantial suspensions reductions from former Commissioner Jay Monahan’s original lifetime bans. Why be vindictive when every LIV returnee, especially a high-profile one, benefits the established tour which holds the dominant leverage? This essential question seems partly answered. According to ESPN journalist Mark Schlabach, Koepka formally applied last Friday to reactivate his PGA Tour membership, which expired after 2022, seeking readmission.